Up for the top prize of artist of the year are Don Omar, Prince Royce, Romeo Santos and Jenni Rivera. Rivera was killed in a plane accident in Mexico last year. The California-born singer was a superstar of Mexican-American music and adored by millions.

The three-hour show will feature performances by Marc Anthony, Daddy Yankee and Carlos Vives, among others.

The Billboard Latin Music Awards are being broadcast live on Telemundo Thursday evening. They come at a time when digital sales of Latin music are rising following a downturn in album sales during the recession.